O'dragenesis
Although the people of the continent Ra'el are splintered into four distinct nations, each venerating on the the Four Elemental Forces, they are unified in their firm belief in O'dragenesis, The Story of Ra'el's creation. Ra'elian children are expected to know this oral history by the time they are 6 years old. At the celebration of every new year, on O'drahn's Day, the elders of each city or town tell this tale: "Long ago, before people and cities existed, before our nations were divided and words were spoken, before the winds blew and the oceans rolled, before forests grew and mountains billowed smoke into the sky, all that existed was a bright-dark silence. Forever still, forever calm. This nothingness was The All, is The All, and will forever be The All. Everything since then are mere fragments of The All. Beyond ages, beyond things, beyond elements, beyond thoughts, The All is within everything and everything is within The All. When we awaken into Ra'el we emanate from The All, and when we finally reach our rest we return to The All. In the time before time, several thousands of years ago, The All birthed O'drahn, transcendent golden god, progenitor and creator, marvelous and awesome, yet far removed from the perfection of The All. Then, O'drahn became lonely in the quiet calm of nothingness. So O'drahn created a daughter and a son, Remiscus and Demiscus. The Son, aggressive and domineering, began a fight with his Sister over which of them was greater. Remiscus, passive and graceful, avoided argument with her twin brother. It wasn't until Demiscus, still hot and willful, asked O'drahn whom it liked better that the real trouble began. O'drahn in It's wisdom responded, "I love you both equally, you are the same and different in my eyes and this will never change." When The Twins heard this paradoxical statement doubt entered their minds for the first time. Remiscus wondered, "What does O'drahn mean we are different?" while Demiscus wondered, "What does O'drahn mean we are the same?" And so a rift grew between The Twins and they began to fight each other. O'drahn only let them fight but for a moment before he thrust himself between the two to force them to stop their conflict. And where the three touched a tiny ball of energy materialized in the wake of their energies colliding. This tiny spinning ball of energy, a mixture of their essences, began to slow and darken and morph. The Three looked on in deep curiosity. It solidified and ripened as it began to rotate and revolve around The Three. As it came around for the fourth time it, its metamorphosis complete, it appeared to them as a solid sphere, all Yellow, Blue, Red, and Green. Bumps and shapes formed as little dots began to crawl all across it. "What is it?" Remiscus asked. "It's such a tiny thing," Demiscus remarked. O'drahn smiled and said, "It is Ra'el." Clusters of dots began to move across its surface in unison. Some went into the thick green, others disappeared inside the red bumps, others dug in near the curling blue, the rest settled in on the big yellow plain. And so the first tribes of Ra'el spread and settled among the Four Elements. As the tribes grew and thrived they all began to take notice of their surroundings and finally noticed The Three watching them. The Three were impressed with these tiny beings and their persistence and ingenuity, so The Three began to speak to the people of Ra'el through their dreams. Demiscus favored the people on the plains and in the mountains, while Remiscus favored the people on the shores and in the forests. The Twins taught their peoples the secrets of creation and destruction till it wasn't long before these first Tribes of Ra'el could use powerful magicks to control the forces of nature. So began our first learning of The Weave of creation, the science and art by which magick comes into the world, tugging and shaping and morphing The Weave, the very essence of reality itself. But very strange and rare indeed were the scant few people who communed with O'drahn, The First, The Link to The All. These blessed few learned the most powerful magick in their dreams, passed down from O'drahn as a most sacred gift. These fortunate few were so powerful that it is said they had the ability to leave Ra'el completely and commune with other beings from other worlds. Several powerful ones, devotees of O'drahn, came together and created Advenportavis, in order to reach O'drahn and become one with The All. Their hubris caused The Weave to rip at Advenportavis when another being tried to break through to Ra'el. That being was Choronzon. Although Choronzon was stopped just before he could come through the portal to Ra'el, several of his minions, The Separti, managed to sneak through the gateway. And so began an age of sorrow and conflict. The Separti managed to sow madness in the minds of the people and they began a war over whether or not to seal away Advenportavis forever. The Occuli were the faction that favored keeping Advenportavis a secret, too powerful in the wrong hands. T'he Scireens' were the faction that said all the people must know of Advenportavis and all could benefit from its power. After twenty terrible years, The Great War was over when The Occuli won, and Advenportavis and all its secrets were sealed away forever. Some say that there are still those directly descended from The Occuli, the devotees of O'drahn, guardians who swear an oath to always keep the terrible events of ages past from ever happening again, lest Choronzon breaks through and the world is destroyed. The Watchers keep a close eye on the affairs of Ra'el, and if they ever fear the world is edging towards the chaos of ages pass, they intervene to keep the balance of peace." Historical Timeline A.O.=Age of O'drahn A.C.=Age of Conflict A.P.=Age of Peace A.S.=Age of Spelljamming 0 A.O. Ra'el is created, Magic is omnipresent, all are one. 500 A.O. The Four Tribes explore the continent. 1,000 A.O. The Four Tribes reunite and form Advenportavis, The Emogema are discovered. 1st Learning of The Land Change (different races begin to evolve as a result of different exposure to The Elements.) 2,000 A.O. The Tearing of The Weave at Advenportavis, Choronzon tries to break through to Ra'el. The Four Tribes unite and close Advenportavis, The Tearing brings The Separti and all other monsters into the world, The Four Links are appointed to pass down the secrets of Advenportavis, teach elemental magics, and become conduits for the wisdom of The Twin Gods. 2,030 A.O. Dissent grows and The Great War begins between The Occuli and The Scireens. 2,033 A.O. The first reports of Magic Waning, Magic begins to be more uncommon. 2,050 A.O. The Great War ends, The Occuli win. The Links create The Four Nations. The Secret knowledge of Advenportavis remains guarded by the Links. 2,053 A.O. Morgran Lutgehr (Dwarf Leader) renounces magic and begins excavating Mount Vexa 2,064 A.O. First reports of the Dragonborn race parlaying to join small settlements. 2,070 A.O. First Reports of Halflings and Gnomes in historical records, most agree on these races as offshoots from Dwarven Lineage. 2,100 A.O. The City of Sophtos is founded (2,116 A.O. The Misty Island is discovered) 2,122 A.O. The City of Iox is founded (The First Flight) 2,147 A.O. The City of Oolan is founded 2,258 A.O. The City of Fomexet is founded (The 255 Year Excavation started by Morgran Lutgehr is completed) 2,260 A.O. The Orcs arrive in raiding ships off the coasts of The Water Nation The Age of Conflict begins 2,260 A.C. Siyrias is sacked. Orcs take control. Hold Siyrias until Sophtos reinforcements come and reclaim it. Orcs leave quickly but brutally, moving into the Mountains. Infiltrating The Fire Nation. The orcs take Fsinri but with heavy loses. Orcish battleships carry more troops into the fray where the mountains meet The Barren Sea. Rumors and reports spread through Ra'el of a terrible, invading, foreign force. 2,265 A.C. The Four Links meet in Fomexet to form a strategy to defeat the orcs. They construct teleportation circles within their capitals to help them work together and defeat the Orcish hordes. A contingent of the Orcish force plows through the mountains, conquering Fitlemus and spilling out onto the plains. The orcs occupy and enslave the Halfling caravans of the Northern Plains. 2,285 A.C. Dwarves win The War in The Mountains and take back Fsinri and Fitlemus. Orcs are driven out into the plains where the Air Army Dragonships are waiting in ambush. The Earth Nation Druids ride their Treants to victory against the Orcs occupying the Northern Plains. The Orcs begrudgingly agree to surrender. The Orcs are allowed to retreat from Ra'el. Some proud orcs refuse to surrender and are mowed down by Dragonship cannon fire or are crushed underfoot by the Treants. Most orcs return to Krag, their home continent, southwest of Ra'el. Some remain peacefully, watched by cautious eyes, and the Half-Orc race crops up all along their line of conquest. 2,300 A.C. The Age of Peace Begins 2,457 A.P. Jakamin The Bard is born. 2,529 A.P. Jakamin The Bard dies. 2,531 A.P. The A-Team is formed. Loki and Grant join up with Layla and then frees Marduc and Keebler from prison in Oireg. 2,531 A.P. Alexander the Alchemist attains Lichhood. 2,531 A.P Alexander The Lich begins searching for The Prime Emogema. The A-Team discovers his plan to use the Emogema to open Advenportavis once more. Marra Moorewood joins the A-Team in Iox. The A-Team thwarts Alexander poisoning the City in The Clouds. The A-Team acquires The Prime Emogema of Sorrow, The Prime Emogema of Contentment, and The Prime Emogema of Anger. 2,531 A.P. The A-Team fails to stop Alexander and he succeeds at collecting all the Prime Emogema. After Alexander collects the remaining Prime Emogema he tricks Loki and manages to use the 10 Prime Emogema to open Advenportavis and uses the planar gate to ascend to the realm of the gods. A mysterious figure known only as The Watcher closes the gate once more and then dissappears. 2,532 A.P. Loki dies after trying to steal from Themberchaud The Red Dragon in the Dueregar City of Gracklstugh. Layla dies after she tries to hunt down the guild of Assassins known as The Red Hood. Keebler has a moment of clarity and remembers his true identity is Gildor. Shortly after he loses his mind after a magical experiment goes awry. Marduc goes on to adventure with other adventuring groups. Marra Moorewood and Grant get married and settle down in Iox. 2,535 A.P. Grant suddenly goes missing from Marra's and his home. After not returning for 24 hours, Marra set out to find her husband. She followed a trail of clues that eventually told her Grant had left Ra'el and most likely had returned to the continent of Krag, the homeland of the Orcs. She travels to Krag in search of him. 2,536 A.P. The Ravens (Jeff Porter, Thorice Longfellow, Glory, and Marra Moorewood) gain some prominence as an adventuring group in the City of Krosis on Krag. Marra finds a clue that tells her Grant was last seen heading south, through the mountain pass known as The Sentinels. 2,536 A.P. The Ravens gain the Patronage of Kalimbo, an Adult Brass Dragon. 2,537 A.P. The Eyes of The Watcher form at the behest of a mysterious and powerful being calling herself The Watcher. Arjhan, Brenda, Desmond, Druid, and Harmony are sent to Red Larch to investigate a disruptive power hidden to the powerful gaze of The Watcher. 2,537 A.P. The Eyes of The Watcher stop a Necromancer with a lair in Lance Rock Cave. They save two young boys from falling prey to his foul necromancy experiments. 2,549 A.P. ***Grant and Marra Reunite*** 2,549 A.P. Welima, Link of Water, dies. Douglas Haverstaf, Marduc's cousin, assumed the position of Link of Water. Marduc attends Welima's funeral. A cloaked Githzerai monk approaches him after the funeral and informs him that before she died Welima had spent some time in Limbo and perhaps she didn't merely die. 2,549 A.P Marduc, Karsten, and Maximus investigate Welima's quarters in the Githzerai Monastery in Limbo. Marduc finds a strange box which holds a note from Welima meant for him and a Deck of Many Things she wished to pass on to him. Marduc, Karsten, and Maximus go to question the Zerth of the Monastery to see if they can discover any other clues about Welima's death. The Monastery training grounds turns into a battlefield when a small contingent of Slaadi that were shapeshifted as monks attack the Monastery and the party. The party survive the onslaught, but two Slaadi escaped into the chaos of Limbo. 2,549 A.S. Marduc, Benjamin Ulyseus Booplesnoot III, Corvus Corax, and Mardnab are summoned by the Four Links to a meeting of The Grand Summit. Also present are: Lydia Nailo The Bloodhunter, Avante Axis the Fire Genasi, Bigbit Knackle (Gnome Tinkerer Extraordinaire), Marra Moorewood and Grant Moorewood, Quaron, Jeff Porter, Grace O'Malley, Bessamira Steelhand, and Mugh Ruith the Blind Druid. A man by the name of Jacob Brith had fallen through time, travelling to the present after Adventportavis had been used in the ancient past of Ra'el. Jacob told everyone present that the gate was actually constructed as a weapon of mass destruction to fight an overwhelming force of Beholders called The Faruq. The gate was constructed with alien technology that had fallen to Ra'el, and this was the same technology that allowed Iox to float in the sky. As Jacob finished warning of the threat of the Faruq, Dagon, the criminal underlord of Iox finally revealed himself in an attack on all parties present in the Royal War Room of The Link of Air. Dagon was in fact a Beholder, a member of the Faruq that had been biding his time in Iox for decades, waiting for the perfect moment to exact revenge. He did when his criminal band stole the alien technology that kept Iox aflot and brought Iox crashing to the ground. Most of the people in the Warroom survived, being seasoned adventurers with means of teleportation. The city of Iox was not so lucky. In a mad dash to escape, only a handful of citizens made their way to Dragonships and landed elsewhere safely. 90% of the city's inhabitants were killed as Iox crashed into the ground below, leaving a massive crater in the once peaceful rolling fields of Ra'el. Marduc, Boople, Corvus, and Mardnab joined with the other adventurer survivors and set off to find a mysterious Illithid who was believed to have a ship capable of flying to the stars. The party found Rochmyrz, The Alhoon, as a solitary ally who had protected this ship for hundreds of years while it lay lifeless without a means of power. The party, with the help of the Links, teleported to Adventportavis, beneath the surface, to recover this alien engine in order to power this ancient ship. They did so successfully and flew off and began their journey amonst the stars. Before they reached the edge of known Ra'elspace, an Angel appeared and delivered a terrible message to them "If you do not succeed in your quest, in 10 years time all of Ra'el will be destroyed." And then vanished.